Amalgamator.



Paltent e d Aug. 20, IBM; A. B. BLACK.

AMALGAMATOB.

(Application filed Apr. 5, 1900! TH: Noams Psnas co.. PHoYo-umu, wlsumm'oy, 0.1:.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

AMOS R. BLACK, OF NEAR LAMAR, COLORADO.

AMALGAIVIATO R.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 681,034, dated August 20, 19 01.

Application filed April 5, 1900- Serial Nor (N0 model-3 T0 and whom it may concern.-

.Be it known that I, AMOS R. BLACK, a citizen of the United States, residing near Lamar, in the county of Prowersand State of 0010- rado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Amalgamators; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to Wet-process amalgamators. t

The object of the invention is the provision of an amalgamator of either small or very large capacity which will be adapted to amalgamate fine, flake, flour, or float gold from the pulp, thereby preventing the great loss at present existing in the milling of gold-bearing ores. s l

The foregoing object is accomplished by the provision of a novel arrangement of amalgamating-plates, pulpstirrers, and other devices whereby a number of different currents and counter-currents are sent up in the pulp, which insures the contact with the mercury surfaces of all infinitesimal particles in suspension in the pulp.

The invention will be described in detail hereinafter and the novel features recited in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is atransverse section of the complete machine, arrows i indicating the manner in which the pulp rises and dives; Fig. 2, a horizontal section on line 00 a: of Fig.1; and Fig.3, a detail View of a plate-hanger and a section of amalgamating-plate, with the parts separated to illustrate the manner of fastening.

The machine has a tub l, in practice from five to thirtyfeet in diameter and about a foot and one-half deep, which is supported on sills 2, to which it is secured, so as to be stationary. A few of the staves constituting the sides of the tub are shown at 3. An amalgamated copper plate 4,circular in shape, extends around the inside of the tub and is secured to the side thereof. Within thetub are stationary concentric amalgamated copper plates 5, 6, and 7. The concentric plates 5 and 7 are directly secured to the bottom of the tub, so that none of the pulp can pass underneath them, but must necessarily pass over the upper edges. On theother hand, the plate 6 has its lower edge raised somewhat from the bottom of the tub to leave the space 8 for the pulp to pass through, and said plate is secured to the tub-bottom by the legs 9. The plate 5 is of less height than the plate 4, so that the pulp will flow over the top of said plate 5 before it overflows the plate 4. The plate 6 is of greater height than the plate 5 to prevent the pulp from flowing over the top of said plate 6 and to insure the passage of the pulp downward and under the plate. The plate 7 is of less height than the other plates to insure the discharge of the pulp into the central discharge-chamber 10, formed by the said plate. The tub-bottom is provided with discharge-pipes 11, which carry off the pulp, and drain-plugs 12 are provided for the amalgamating-chambers, by which said chambers can be drained when de sired.

Arising from the tub-bottom in the overiiow or discharge chamber is a standard 13,

carrying a bearing 14. There are arms 15, having a casting 16, which rests on the bearing 14 and to which it is connected by the setscrews 17 to a vertical shaft 18, mounted in a suitable bearing on the tub-bottom and geared to a power-shaft 19, equipped with a belt-pulley 20, to which either animal or mechanical power can be applied to rotate the moving parts of the machine at a speed of about four or five revolutions per minute in practice.

The arms 15 carry a feed-box 21 at their center, from which extend feed pipes 22, which rest on the top of the arms and are secured thereto by clamps 23,"whilo the ends of the pipes project down into the outer amalgamating-chamber between the plates 4 and 5, as at 24, and are provided with lateral perforations 25 and a single perforation 26 in their lower ends.

Secured to and depending from the rotating arms 15 are plate-hangers 27, which are adapted to move in the two innermost amalgamating chambers. The lower ends of these hangers have one half 28 made removable and secured to the other half by a bolt 29. The respective annular rotating amalgamating-plates 30 and 31, constructed in four sections each and removable, are hung from the bolts 29 and clamped to the hangers by the parts 28. The top of said amalgamated plate 30 is lower than the top of plates 5 and 6, respectively, so as to allow the pulp to pass over it and downward along both sides of said plate 30. The top ofamalgamated plate 31 is lower than the top of' the plate 7 in order to allow that portion of the pulp arising on the outside of plate 31 to flow over the top of said plate and discharge to the central discharge-chamber.

The operation is as follows: The plates are prepared for amalgamating gold. Either animal or mechanical power is applied to the belt pulley to rotate the perforated feed-pipes. Prior to introduction in the amalgamator the material is reduced to at least eighty or one hundred mesh fine by the wet process and fed intothe feed-box and through the rotating feed-pipes by hydraulic pressure and is jetted out under the surface of the pulp in the amalgamating-chamber and through the perforations'in the pipes as the latter rotate, thereby producing a lateral counter-current concentric amalgamated plates. The hydraulic pressure from the feed-pipes causes the pulp to rise in the front chamber and pass over the second plate, then to dive in the second chamber along both sides of the rotating plate and under the third stationary plate, and thence to pass up in the third chamber on both sides of the second rotating plate and over the second rotating plate, and finally pass over the inner plate and discharge into the overflow-chamber and pass out therefrom through the drain-pipe, thereby producing upward and downward currents in the amalgamating-chambers. Another current is induced in the pulpthat is to say, a circular current moving around the plates, produced by the rotation of the feed-pipes and the plate-hangers. Still another swirling current is set up in the pulp by the movement of the pulp as it falls in behind the feed-pipes and the plate-hangers as they r0"- tate to occupy the space from which the pulp is being continuously displaced. It will be seen, therefore, that four independent and distinct different counter-currents are set up in the outer pulp-chamber and three distinct d'ifi erent counter-currents in the other two chambers, which make it impossible for any particle in the pulp (no matterhowfine) to pass through the machine without being brought in contact with a mercury-surface, and consequently all fine, flake, flour, or float gold will be amalgamated. The materialthat is to say, the ore-is first reduced to eighty or one hundred mesh fine by the wet process, preferably by an arrastre or scouring-mill which I have invented and which forms the subject of a separate application for patent. Ore that is reduced to this degree of fineness loses its grit, and consequently by using only such reduced ore in the amalgamator there is no danger of scouring the mercury 01' amalgam'from the plates, because the difierent counter currents produced are very gentle. The continuous rotation of the feed-pipes and amalgamated plate hangers acting as pulp-stirrers in the pulp-chambers and the u pward and downward hydraulic current therein make it impossible for the material being treated to clog the amalgamator. The amalgamator can also be successfully used to save the fine'fioat-gold now lost in the placer mine dump by first screening off all material too coarse to be passed through the amalgamator.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a wet-process amalgamator, the combination with atub, of amalgamated plates therein, and perforated feed-pipes located between the plates and adapted to move between them which are adapted to feed material to be amalgamated to the plates in hydraulic jets under the surface of the pulp in p which said pipes move. and directing the pulp laterally against the 2. In a wet-process amalgamator, the com bination with a stationary tub, and vertical concentric stationary amalgamator-plates therein, of feed-pipes adapted to rotate between said plates, said pipes having perforartions, whereby the material to be amalgamated is fed to the plates in hydraulic jets 4 under the surface of the pulp in which the said pipes move.

3. In a wet-process amalgamator, the combination with a tub, of separated vertical stationary amalgamated plates in said tub, and a perforated feed-pipe movable between the amalgamated plates in the tub, whereby the material to be amalgamated is fed to the plates in hydraulic jets under the surface of the pulp in which the feed-pipe moves.

4. In a wet-process amalgamator, the combination with a tub and separated stationary amalgamated plates therein, of amalgamated plates located between the stationary plates and adapted to rotate between and in rela-' tion to them, aperforated feed-pipe movable between the stationary plates in the pulp in the tub, whereby the material to be amalgamated is fed to the plates under the surface of the pulp in which the feed-pipe moves.

5. In a wet-process amalgamator, the combination with a stationary tub'a-nd circular vertical stationary concentric amalgamated plates therein, of perforated pipes rota-ting between the plates, adapted to feed the pulp in hydraulic jets under the pulp-surface in the pulp-chamber.

6. In a wet-process amalgamator, the com feeding the pulp to the plates, and means for introducing fluid-jets in the pulp between the plates and toward them.

7. In a Wet-process amalgamator, the combination with a pulp-chamber and amalgabination with a pulp-chamber and amalgamated plates therein, of a feeder adapted to ,deliver the pulp below the liquid-surface in the space between the plates and in jets directed toward said plates, said plates and feeder being relatively movable whereby an independent and distinct current is produced in the pulp against said plates.

9. In a wet-process amalgamator, the combination with a pulp-chamber and amalgamated plates therein, of a conduit intermediate the plates adapted to project currents against the plates, below the surface of the pulp, said plates and conduit being relatively movable, and said conduit also creating by its movement distinct and independent currents in the pulp.

10. In a wet-process amalgamator, the combination of a pulp-chamber and amalgamated plates therein, and fluid-conduits intermediate the plates adapted to project fluid-currents against the plates, below the surface of the pulp, said plates and conduits being relatively movable.

In testimony whereof I ELfllX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

AMOS R. BLACK.

W'itnesses:

VERNON E. Honcns, E. H. MERILLAT. 

